1. Field of the Invention
This invention has an object to provide a catalyst that can be employed for reforming hydrocarbons with steam to produce a fuel gas consisting mainly of methane.
2. Description of Prior Arts
It has been previously known that a catalyst comprising a heat-resisting carrier of alumina, silica, etc., and a catalytically active component of nickel can be employed for reforming hydrocarbons with steam. However, a catalyst of that kind having activity at a low temperature is rather unstable, and therefore it results in a drawback that its activity is reduced when it is subjected to a temperature of higher than a certain level. The performance of a catalyst is greatly dependent upon its kind and nature. When a high performance catalyst is intended to be used for steam reforming of hydrocarbons, the hydrocarbons employed as the raw materials are practically restricted to those belonging to light hydrocarbons and the sulfur content of the hydrocarbon is set under severe requirements.